In the field of magnetic resonance imaging, the use of bore-type magnetic resonance scanners is widespread. Although lateral dimensions of the magnet bore have been enlarged in the past years, it is known that the limited bore dimension can increase patient anxiety even without the presence of an explicit claustrophobic disposition. Increased patient anxiety or a feeling of upcoming panic can disturb the acquiring of magnetic resonance images or even make its execution unfeasible.
Illumination assemblies for lighting the magnet bore for enhancing patient comfort are known, for instance, from U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,926, wherein plastic fiber optic bundles with ends in frosted tubes are arranged in the magnet bore behind a deflector element to uniformly diffuse light provided by the plastic fiber optic bundles.
Japanese patent application JP 2013 163018 A describes a magnetic resonance imaging device that includes a gantry unit, front light sources, and an outer casing for the gantry unit. The gantry unit has a bore serving as a space where a magnetic resonance image is to be captured, and is configured to collect magnetic resonance signals from a subject placed on a patient bed top in a state in which the subject has been moved into the bore by a bed unit for moving the patient bed top. The front light sources are installed around a front opening that is an opening of the bore and is located in front of the bed unit. The outer casing of the gantry unit, a portion of which is illuminated with light applied from the front light sources, is made of a transparent or translucent material. By providing the front light sources, it is possible to make the portion of the cover positioned near the front opening brighter than the surroundings thereof. Because the portion of the cover positioned near the front opening is illuminated, the subject feels that the front opening is large, while the subject is moved into the bore.
International application WO 2014/029571 A describes a medical device with a tubular interior space for accommodating a subject to be examined, a cladding of the tubular interior space facing towards the subject to be examined and a device for lighting the tubular interior space, which comprises at least one lamp, wherein the lamp is mounted on the side of the cladding of the tubular interior space facing towards the subject to be examined and forms the tunnel contour of the tubular interior space.